CT scans of BYD car parts • Hacker News Board

Re: CT scans of BYD car parts

#11

Post by rwmj » Tue, Jun 02, 2026, 9:26 PM UTC

joe_mamba wrote: post #8

Animats wrote: post #6

Nice. Those are small parts, though. The interesting part is the E-axle. BYD builds a unit with an integrated motor, differential, axle, and wheel hubs. That, plus an electronics box and battery, is the power train. This simplifies vehicles considerably. There are E-axle teardown videos. There's no big secret about how to do this. Copying this is hard for Detroit, because they have a huge investment in "engine plants…

>This simplifies vehicles considerably. On the contrary, this much integration makes repairs nearly impossible, meaning you might have to swap the whole unit(for a lot of $$$) when something small inside it inevitably breaks. Check out the articles published by EVclinic that cover such cases. Aftermarket EV repairs are already big business due to how difficult and expensive the OEMs make it.

There's a reason everyone calls them mobile phones with wheels.

Edit: I agree with you and upvoted your comment which I feel was unfairly downvoted. But economics are going to win here, only a tiny fraction of the user base of cars (or phones) tinkers with them.

Re: CT scans of BYD car parts

#12

Post by lowbloodsugar » Tue, Jun 02, 2026, 9:29 PM UTC

joe_mamba wrote: post #8

Animats wrote: post #6

Nice. Those are small parts, though. The interesting part is the E-axle. BYD builds a unit with an integrated motor, differential, axle, and wheel hubs. That, plus an electronics box and battery, is the power train. This simplifies vehicles considerably. There are E-axle teardown videos. There's no big secret about how to do this. Copying this is hard for Detroit, because they have a huge investment in "engine plants…

>This simplifies vehicles considerably. On the contrary, this much integration makes repairs nearly impossible, meaning you might have to swap the whole unit(for a lot of $$$) when something small inside it inevitably breaks. Check out the articles published by EVclinic that cover such cases. Aftermarket EV repairs are already big business due to how difficult and expensive the OEMs make it.

Most of those stories are 1/ crashes and 2/ hybrids. Again, with rare exception, manufacturers are just making gas cars with EV power trains. Tesla and BYD are making next gen transport. Are you old enough to remember when TVs broke so often that TV Repairman was a job? One day we will look back on car mechanics the same way.

I do remember the visceral joy of trying to keep a supercharged Camaro on the track, but those memories are overwhelmed by the terror of “what is that noise”. Now I drive a Tesla that accelerates faster than that Camaro, handles better, and hasn’t been to the shop once.

If I win the lottery I will buy another Camaro and a Corvette and I’ll work on them for fun, and kids will look at me the way I looked at old men who take care of antique steam engines and traction engines and take them to fairs. That sure is a lot of noise and smoke and doohickeys for very little speed and power!

Re: CT scans of BYD car parts

#13

Post by mnahkies » Tue, Jun 02, 2026, 9:32 PM UTC

joe_mamba wrote: post #8

Animats wrote: post #6

Nice. Those are small parts, though. The interesting part is the E-axle. BYD builds a unit with an integrated motor, differential, axle, and wheel hubs. That, plus an electronics box and battery, is the power train. This simplifies vehicles considerably. There are E-axle teardown videos. There's no big secret about how to do this. Copying this is hard for Detroit, because they have a huge investment in "engine plants…

>This simplifies vehicles considerably. On the contrary, this much integration makes repairs nearly impossible, meaning you might have to swap the whole unit(for a lot of $$$) when something small inside it inevitably breaks. Check out the articles published by EVclinic that cover such cases. Aftermarket EV repairs are already big business due to how difficult and expensive the OEMs make it.

I don't have so much knowledge about EV repairs, but I got burnt by this on ICE cars already - had a car fail a regular fitness test on suspension bushes, they weren't replaceable without replacing the whole arm(s). What should've been a $40 part was being quoted as more than the cars value.

(I'm not sure if there was a way around this, there may well have been but I had other things going on and sold for scrap)

Re: CT scans of BYD car parts

#14

Post by cyberax » Tue, Jun 02, 2026, 9:33 PM UTC

joe_mamba wrote: post #8

Animats wrote: post #6

Nice. Those are small parts, though. The interesting part is the E-axle. BYD builds a unit with an integrated motor, differential, axle, and wheel hubs. That, plus an electronics box and battery, is the power train. This simplifies vehicles considerably. There are E-axle teardown videos. There's no big secret about how to do this. Copying this is hard for Detroit, because they have a huge investment in "engine plants…

>This simplifies vehicles considerably. On the contrary, this much integration makes repairs nearly impossible, meaning you might have to swap the whole unit(for a lot of $$$) when something small inside it inevitably breaks. Check out the articles published by EVclinic that cover such cases. Aftermarket EV repairs are already big business due to how difficult and expensive the OEMs make it.

Why would it be less repairable? Power electronics are still modular and are easily swappable. Mechanical parts are more integrated, but they so simple that they can last for decades.

And once they give out, you can just replace the whole unit for maybe $2000.

Re: CT scans of BYD car parts

#15

Post by binary132 » Tue, Jun 02, 2026, 9:38 PM UTC

joe_mamba wrote: post #8

Animats wrote: post #6

Nice. Those are small parts, though. The interesting part is the E-axle. BYD builds a unit with an integrated motor, differential, axle, and wheel hubs. That, plus an electronics box and battery, is the power train. This simplifies vehicles considerably. There are E-axle teardown videos. There's no big secret about how to do this. Copying this is hard for Detroit, because they have a huge investment in "engine plants…

>This simplifies vehicles considerably. On the contrary, this much integration makes repairs nearly impossible, meaning you might have to swap the whole unit(for a lot of $$$) when something small inside it inevitably breaks. Check out the articles published by EVclinic that cover such cases. Aftermarket EV repairs are already big business due to how difficult and expensive the OEMs make it.

I’m very confused as to why this is downvoted but I tossed you an upvote since I do my best to work against the constant brigading I always see on this forum.

Re: CT scans of BYD car parts

#16

Post by binary132 » Tue, Jun 02, 2026, 9:40 PM UTC

rwmj wrote: post #11

joe_mamba wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>This simplifies vehicles considerably. On the contrary, this much integration makes repairs nearly impossible, meaning you might have to swap the whole unit(for a lot of $$$) when something small inside it inevitably breaks. Check out the articles published by EVclinic that cover such cases. Aftermarket EV repairs are already big business due to how difficult and expensive the OEMs make it.

There's a reason everyone calls them mobile phones with wheels. Edit: I agree with you and upvoted your comment which I feel was unfairly downvoted. But economics are going to win here, only a tiny fraction of the user base of cars (or phones) tinkers with them.

People don’t want cars they can tinker with, they want cars they can get repaired instead of replaced when something breaks….

Re: CT scans of BYD car parts

#17

Post by joe_mamba » Tue, Jun 02, 2026, 9:41 PM UTC

cyberax wrote: post #14

joe_mamba wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>This simplifies vehicles considerably. On the contrary, this much integration makes repairs nearly impossible, meaning you might have to swap the whole unit(for a lot of $$$) when something small inside it inevitably breaks. Check out the articles published by EVclinic that cover such cases. Aftermarket EV repairs are already big business due to how difficult and expensive the OEMs make it.

Why would it be less repairable? Power electronics are still modular and are easily swappable. Mechanical parts are more integrated, but they so simple that they can last for decades. And once they give out, you can just replace the whole unit for maybe $2000.

>Power electronics are still modular and are easily swappable.

Only if someone makes and sells those power electronics to you along with the appropriate DRM tools required for calibration and pairing with the other electronics of the car. Otherwise you're shit outta luck.

>Mechanical parts are more integrated, but they so simple that they can last for decades.

Simple != decades of reliability, when the design and manufacturing quality are piss poor in the race to the bottom for cost cutting and shareholder returns. Timing chains were also supposed to last a lifetime but plenty have been recalled due to know timing chain issues from manufacturing quality.

VW and Kia/Hyundai EVs were found to use custom dimensions motor bearings that can't be bought on the open market from anywhere, so only the OEM and their dealers can get them via their supply chain.

Re: CT scans of BYD car parts

#18

Post by zakisaad » Tue, Jun 02, 2026, 9:44 PM UTC

This was stated about the key: "Folded into the base is a mechanical backup key, a flat metal blade in a hinged housing."

I own a BYD: this is not true. The key is not hinged; rather, the entire mechanical key pulls out when a small clip is unlatched near the top of the assembly (you can see it in the CT). I assume the circular hinge-looking mechanism in the CT is just a by product of the plastic/metal weld process.

Nonetheless: very cool tech demo!

Re: CT scans of BYD car parts

#19

Post by rwmj » Tue, Jun 02, 2026, 9:44 PM UTC

binary132 wrote: post #16

rwmj wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There's a reason everyone calls them mobile phones with wheels. Edit: I agree with you and upvoted your comment which I feel was unfairly downvoted. But economics are going to win here, only a tiny fraction of the user base of cars (or phones) tinkers with them.

People don’t want cars they can tinker with, they want cars they can get repaired instead of replaced when something breaks….

People actually want a convenient and cheap service for getting around. All other considerations can be derived from this. If it was cheaper to replace the car than get it serviced, they would replace it. Currently this is almost never the case of course, but if it happens in future, watch people switch behaviour instantly.

Re: CT scans of BYD car parts

#20

Post by joe_mamba » Tue, Jun 02, 2026, 9:45 PM UTC

lowbloodsugar wrote: post #12

joe_mamba wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>This simplifies vehicles considerably. On the contrary, this much integration makes repairs nearly impossible, meaning you might have to swap the whole unit(for a lot of $$$) when something small inside it inevitably breaks. Check out the articles published by EVclinic that cover such cases. Aftermarket EV repairs are already big business due to how difficult and expensive the OEMs make it.

Most of those stories are 1/ crashes and 2/ hybrids. Again, with rare exception, manufacturers are just making gas cars with EV power trains. Tesla and BYD are making next gen transport. Are you old enough to remember when TVs broke so often that TV Repairman was a job? One day we will look back on car mechanics the same way. I do remember the visceral joy of trying to keep a supercharged Camaro on the track, but tho…

>Most of those stories are 1/ crashes and 2/ hybrids.

No, they're faulty coolant seals of the electric motor, wrecking the power unit.

>but those memories are overwhelmed by the terror of “what is that noise”.

I just turned up the music till the noise went away. Problem solved.

>Now I drive a Tesla that accelerates faster than that Camaro, handles better, and hasn’t been to the shop once.

Good for you, but do you know there's a whole lotta other EV brands out there? And many are not as well and reliably designed as your Tesla.

>I do remember the visceral joy of trying to keep a supercharged Camaro [...] If I win the lottery I will buy another Camaro and a Corvette and I’ll work on them for fun

Nice story, but what does all this have to do with the parent you're replying to? Did he mention ICEs anywhere?